The present invention relates to devices for fastening boards to supporting structures and more particularly to a fastener for securing adjoining boards to a common substructural element such as a joist.
Conventional decks typically include horizontal floors raised above the ground and supported by an underlying structure. Decks are often attached to adjacent residential or commercial buildings. Deck boards are placed side by side during construction of a deck, and are typically arranged to cross the structures, such as joints at an angle perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the joist. Other structures utilizing similar flooring techniques include boat docks, ramps, stairs, landings, bridges, platforms and for structures for surrounding or enclosing swimming pools and hot tubs.
Typically, decks are constructed to withstand exposure to the elements and are often constructed from pressure treated wood for, more recently, plastic. Whether the deck boards, which form the flooring of the deck are comprised of wood or plastic or other material, the substructure is typically formed of commonly available pressure treated lumber. The substructure is formed with joist and headers attached to posts. The deck boards are typically transversely fixed across the joist so the substructure, in a generally parallel relationship, by way of nails or screws, driven through the upper surface of the deck board into the joist below.
This manner of attaching deck boards to the substructure presents several disadvantages. If nails or screws are used, they typically cause discoloration of the surrounding wood surface over time. In addition, in driving the nail through the wood or plastic deck board, the surface of the board is often marred during hammering, causing unsightly dents and scratches to the top surface of the board. Over time, nails have a tendency to work themselves loose from the board, projecting upward from the board""s surface. Not only is this aesthetically unpleasing, it causes the deck board to loosen against the joist and also constitutes a safety hazard, particularly to individuals walking over the deck surface barefoot. In addition, both nails and screws are prone to rusting over time, causing failure to the attachment.
Removal of one or more deck boards entails prying the nails loose which is both time consuming and causes damage to the surface of the board.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a deck fastener that provides easy installation and removal of deck boards, and avoids the difficulties presented by nails or screws driven through the top of deck boards.
The deck board fastener of the present invention includes a device having two flat, relatively narrow flanges that project outward and fit into slots formed or cut in the side edges of each deck board at the location on the edge of the deck board where it crosses a joist. Each flange of the device, therefore, fits into an adjacent deck board. The boards are then held in place by driving a screw or nail into the center hole of the device into a joist below. In order to facilitate use of the fastener during deck construction and to provide a means of assuring even gaps between boards throughout the deck structure, the device also includes vertically oriented bottom and top tabs that project from the bottom and top of the flat horizontal surface of the device. These tabs also serve to stabilize the fastener when it is inserted into the slot of the first deck board, prior to engaging the adjacent board and subsequent fastening with a screw or nail. The device serves not only as an attachment means, but as a gauge to assure that gaps are evenly spaced throughout the deck to yield a more pleasing appearance.